Beer-dispensing tables built in Ireland let bar patrons draw their own rounds

Friday

Oct 1, 2010 at 12:01 AMOct 1, 2010 at 4:02 PM

BALTIMORE - A Parkton, Md., man had an idea that even the casual beer drinker would appreciate: What if you could draw your own frothy pint at the local pub?

BALTIMORE - A Parkton, Md., man had an idea that even the casual beer drinker would appreciate: What if you could draw your own frothy pint at the local pub?

Turns out, perhaps not surprisingly, that someone across the Atlantic already had the same idea.

So when Josh Goodman discovered he had a kindred entrepreneurial spirit in Ireland, he teamed with the small company there to introduce Americans to the Draft Master this year. The mobile table, fitted with beer taps designed to let bar patrons draw their own brews, can be found in establishments in Washington, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Las Vegas - and now, Columbus.

"Being from Dublin myself, I've seen them in action for a long time," said Stuart Delves, who recently installed two of the tables at the Gas Station, a gastro-pub he manages near Harrisburg, Pa. "I always thought it was a good idea here."

How the Draft Master tables came to market in the United States and Europe is a tale of enterprise, international trade and the transformation of an Irish company's business model during a deep recession.

The Draft Master could become a regular fixture in bars, now that global conglomerate Diageo, the world's largest beer, wine and spirits company, has put its marketing muscle behind it. Diageo, based in London, has bought 900 of the tables, which typically feature Diageo's Guinness beer, for use in more than 250 pubs across Ireland.

In Columbus, patrons of Park Street Saloon at 525 N. Park St. can experience tap-tables for themselves.

The restaurant and bar has three such tables set up as private booths that hold up to 10 patrons at a time. The taps offer domestic and imported beer, said Brian Swanson, who co-owns the newly opened establishment.

"I saw the concept at a bar in Chicago and thought it would be a pretty cool idea to bring to Columbus, one that people would appreciate," Swanson said. "We've had a great response to the beer tables so far. In fact, we've got the tables already booked up for this weekend."

The tap-tables are private, separated by saloon-type swinging doors, and use a computer to track how much beer is poured. He said the restaurant only has three beer tables because they cost more than $5,000 to install.

"People have really caught on to them because it's a really neat idea," Swanson said, noting that the tables were well worth the cost. "It creates some chatter about our spot. People are definitely talking about it."

Ellickson International, the company in Waterford, Ireland, that makes the Draft Master, is advertising the table as an efficient dispenser of beer that encourages camaraderie in pub and restaurant settings. It's starting to sell them in markets across Europe and is preparing to enter Asia. Its U.S. office is in Annapolis, Md.

"It's a unique hook," said Charlie Kleinrichert, president of A.C. Beverage, an Annapolis-based beer-equipment distributor that partnered with Ellickson to sell the Draft Master in the U.S. "It's an opportunity for bars to set themselves apart. Everybody is looking for tools to improve the marketability of their establishment."

With the recession, bars and restaurants might be looking for new ways to attract consumers. Projected food and drink revenue in bars and taverns is expected to climb a slim 2percent this year to $18.8billion, from $18.5billion last year, according to a National Restaurant Association forecast.

Annual per-capita consumption of beer dropped 1gallon last year, to 29.5gallons, from 30.5gallons or more in previous years, according to the Beer Institute, an industry lobbying group.

The Draft Master makes it easy for a consumer to buy beer on demand. The table features two taps that swivel 360 degrees. A digital meter on the taps keeps track of the amount that's drawn. Up to two different kinds of beers can be poured.

"That's the beautiful thing: There's no waste on this thing," said Delves, the Harrisburg pub operator. "Every ounce of alcohol that comes out of it is accounted for."

Underneath the table, which is wide enough for at least eight people to stand around, is a complex cooling system that can keep two beer kegs chilled at precise temperatures. The table, taps and cooling system cost $7,850, and the separate wireless computer that controls it goes for nearly $2,000.

Over the next month, Goodman, who now runs U.S. operations for Ellickson, will be overseeing the installation of the tables at restaurants in Florida, Chicago, California, Washington and Canada.

"It's getting pretty busy," Goodman said.

Beer laws in most places don't allow people to pay for beer out of a vending machine, and the Draft Master can't be considered one because it doesn't accept payments, company officials say.

Instead, users of the Draft Master have to pay separately for the beer; each drinker is allowed to pour only up to two beers at a time, with a server having to authorize the next round.

The Draft Master was invented by Philip Brady, an Irishman and former pub owner who licensed his idea to Ellickson, which specializes in construction and engineering work. When Ellickson started selling the tables with Brady in 2007, its original business had nearly ground to a halt during the recession in Ireland, Brady said.

"We're a company that has been entrenched in engineering, and everything that we did was with the construction industry," said Brady, Ellickson's technical director. "Now, our electronics are aimed at the hospitality industry."

Dispatch reporter Tracy Turner contributed to this story.

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